Speaking of fresh seafood, the food in Canada was really a highlight!
It’s one of the few places where we dared to afford a lobster dinner.
For the first 30 years of our marriage, lobster was considered the fanciest of the fancy, and often for special anniversaries I’d make a lobster dinner or we’d go out for one.
“Surf and Turf” for our Twenty-fifth anniversary near Mt. Kilauea, Hawaii
However, somewhere in there, Alan started developing an allergy to lobster and I lost my heart for boiling lobsters.
In fact, I’ll never forget the last time I participated in making a live lobster dinner. I was in tears thinking about the poor lobsters and the pain they must feel being boiled to death.
Flash-frozen lobster tails aren’t traumatic to cook, but they also aren’t as fresh
I tried making “lobster tail” dinners for a few years until Alan knew he’d have to stop eating them altogether.
Lobster on the Emerald Princess
For the last 10 years, I’ve been a hypocrite, because I still enjoy a lobster dinner if it’s a free option (like on a cruise), or as a special treat around my birthday (like this dinner), but I won’t cook them!
Dinner at the Alma Boathouse Restaurant
Therefore, I can talk about making a lobster dinner, but I can’t honestly show you any current photos of ME making one. But, I will say that “lobster pot” dinners are still considered the fanciest of the fancy in middle-class America, and there’s nothing any more tasty than fresh lobster pulled right out of the sea accompanied by a baked potato and some fresh veggies! I know it’s still traumatic to be hooked on a line or netted and then executed by having your head cut off, but I have learned that there are several types of meaty fish that—if broiled and dipped in salted, melted butter (like lobster)—will taste almost as fabulous. My favorites are grilled Ahi tuna, grouper, mahi mahi, and halibut.
So, if you wish you could eat lobster but can’t for some reason, consider grilling a fresh, meaty fish and serving it with the same side dishes AS WELL AS a little pot of salty, melted butter for dipping. You won’t have to kill a lobster who’s fighting for his life, you’ll be eating something more nutritious than a bottom feeder, and you’ll save money! Think of the advantages!! 🙂
Seafood Dinner from The Red Lobster Restaurant
“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).
“Alma” was Alan’s mother’s name, so that piqued his curiosity about this tiny fishing village perched on the edge of the Bay of Fundy.
But, it was more than the name that kept him wanting to go back for more!
You know—the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
I travel for the scenery; Alan travels for the cuisine, and in the humble little town of Alma, the cuisine was every bit as fresh and fabulous as the scenery!
That particular morning, we strolled down to the beach to watch the tides rolling in (full at 12:16 pm).
(Note the red boat’s name: “Grateful One”)
Afterward, we followed Alan’s nose down to the wharf to check out the lobster boats and see who could recommend the best place for lunch.
“Justin,” on the Thoughtful Too fishing boat, was preparing lobster trap anchors. He said lobster season runs October 14 through December 31 and then it’s scallop season through spring. They get about 85% of their lobsters during that time, although they can catch them later in the summer. However, he said his crew had just hauled in a load of scallops, which his wife was serving down the street at the Alma Lobster Shop.
That was just the tip we needed, so away we went!
Storage for keeping their seafood harvest freshDeep-fried scallops with a hint of cajun. Unbelievably fresh and scrumptious!Brittany and Hannah (Yes; I have their permission to share them with you!)
Indeed, Justin’s wife, Brittany, served us. We also had the pleasure of getting to know her a little bit. They have 2 kids: Caleb and Hannah. Hannah was with her, full of engaging smiles and waves. Big, blue eyes and just starting to toddle. During lunch, we learned that Justin and Brittany are both Christians and owe their joy to Jesus! Their first baby died 4 days after birth. Their second, Caleb, was a micro-premie, born at 26 weeks, 1 pound, 6 ozs. In NICU for 2 months. This struck a chord with us, because our grandson Samuel was born at 27 weeks at 1 pound, 9 oz and was in the NICU for 97 days. Today, Caleb is perfectly healthy and obsessed with trick bikes. He sounds just like our Sammy, who’s perfectly healthy and obsessed with basketball and doing trick shots! By the time we left, we felt like we’d made new friends!
Doesn’t it warm the cockles of your heart to hear about making new friends in a tiny town in a foreign country based on having both faith and heartaches in common? Our God is an awesome God! Even a year after our trip is over, Alan still thinks of Alma as his favorite little seaside village and talks wistfully of returning for some more great seafood! It might be an affinity because “Alma” was his mother’s name. It might also be something about the meaning of the word “Alma,” which comes from roots that mean “nourishing the soul; kind; first” (as in, our “alma mater,” our “first mother” or the first university we attended). But, probably best of all, I think it’s about the great food and kind souls we met there!
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
Tides are the alternate rising and falling of oceans based on the complex interplay between the water, the rotation of the world, Earth’s distance from the sun and moon, and the gravitational pulls that the sun and moon exert on Earth. Because the moon has an elliptical orbit around Earth, the highest tides occur when the moon is closest to the earth (perigee), and 6-8 times a year perigee coincides with a new or full moon, making the tides even higher, known as “perigean spring tides.” However, usually this only amounts to an extra foot or less of water depth.
Apple trees and wildflowers flourish above the tide line
Large lakes (like America’s Great Lakes) are considered “non-tidal” because they experience less than 2 inches of change, which is usually unnoticeable.
Life often goes smoothly in the little town of Alma on the Bay of Fundy
Worldwide, the average tidal change is only about 3.3 feet, and the change between each high and low tide is so predictable (about every 6 hours and 13 minutes) that everybody is used to the tides and lives far enough from the edge of the shore so they can easily accommodate the natural rhythms of the rising and falling tides.
Bay of Fundy, based on NASA image (Public Domain)
However, at the Bay of Fundy, there are two unusual additional effects: Fundy has a funnel-shaped bay, and the conditions there are just right for the phenomenon of “tidal resonance,” where the tidal reaction is magnified due to the speed of the long waves in relationship to the distance between the coast and the underlying continental shelf. The deeper water also produces greater energy.
Boats at rest in Alma during high tide on the Bay of Fundy (Canada)
In the Bay of Fundy, between 110-175 billion (short tons) of water surge in and out of the bay during every 12-hour tidal cycle, which is twice as much water exchange as that produced by all the freshwater rivers throughout the world during the same time period!
Boats resting on supports during low tide at Bay of Fundy
These incredibly powerful tides change the water not 3.3 feet, but up to 56 feet! Beyond that, in October 4-5 of 1869, the tropical cyclone, Saxby Gale, caused an additional 7-foot storm surge, which coincided with a perigean spring tide, bringing the tide up to a world record of 71 feet. No one was prepared for that disaster. Dykes were breached, hurtling water miles inland, and it took coastal ports and communities years to recover from the devastation.
Port of Alma at high tide. Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick
I think of my life—our lives—as being like oceans. All of us have natural patterns of highs and lows, although in some the shifts are relatively small. In others, they are seismic. We may bring some tempests on ourselves, but In 1 Samuel 2:7, we read “he [the LORD] bringeth low, and lifeth up.” Ultimately, we are all subject to testings and trials . . . the tides of life and the storms of life. We can attempt to build our lives far enough from the edge of danger so we can accommodate the normal vicissitudes of life, but there are times when we will be overwhelmed despite our most careful preparations. In Psalm 88:6 we hear the lament, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.” God is sovereign, allowing even the most horrendous situations sometimes. He is not non-existent or asleep. He is active. We do not understand. We do acknowledge that His ways are at times inscrutable.
Port of Alma at low tide
We are left with the challenge of trusting that He is love and his heart is to bring good from evil even when we don’t understand. At other times, we experience God’s rescue: “Great is thy mercy toward me: and thou has delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Psalms 86:13).
As I write this (a month before it’s going to be posted), I’ve been feeling the terrifying stormy tides of one of my little granddaughters, who’s been in the intensive care unit with life-threatening asthma. She has been on oxygen and they can’t get her off even with steroids. When they tried, her oxygen saturation went down to 88%. I contacted my closest friends who are prayer warriors and asked them to pray. My spiritual little sister immediately interrupted her husband (who works remotely) and asked him to pray with her. My prayer partner called me on the phone and we prayed together. One precious friend from our intercessors’ group for the ministry of Aqueduct Project texted out a prayer at exactly the same time.
Tidal river at low tide; Bay of Fundy
We waited, watched, and prayed. I am able to report this morning that she finally made it through the night without needing oxygen and is at this moment waiting with her mother to be released from the hospital. In this instance, the Lord has rescued our little one, and I am floating on Cloud Nine! No need for my feet to touch ground just now!
However, this morning (September 27, 2022), millions of Americans are feeling the dread of Hurricane Ian, which swept over Cuba and is heading (at this moment) for Tampa Bay and Orlando, Florida, where more than 6 million people live. What will happen? I was just praying with a friend whose nephew is in the path of the hurricane, as is one of my sisters. The governor is evacuating people from the Tampa Bay area, but . . . ?
We are waiting, watching, and praying. Will the Lord intervene and cause the storm to dissipate or change course? No matter how hard we try, or how carefully we prepare, we can be swept into a hurricane at any time. What will happen? Will our faith stand even when our feet fail?
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) (Song by Hillsong UNITED)
You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your Name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sovereign hand will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You’ve never failed and You won’t start now
So I will call upon Your Name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine, oh
And You are mine, oh
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Saviour
I will call upon Your Name Keep my eyes above the waves My soul will rest in Your embrace I am Yours and You are mine
Songwriters: Joel Houston / Matt Crocker / Salomon Lighthelm
Low tide in Alma, New Brunswick
“Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
(Except for the NASA map, I took all the photos in and around the Bay of Fundy in October of 2021).
Got any time to invest in learning how to share the Gospel and fulfill the Great Commission? Pastor Bhavesh Nagda (from Dubai) and Matthew Dereck (from America) have teamed up to teach a class on evangelism and discipleship. Here’s what they say:
“Jesus Christ is the master teacher in the art of disciple making. From his opening call to his own disciples to become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) to his concluding “Great Commission,” in which he sent the apostles out to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), the Lord taught the priority of evangelism and discipleship. This course will study the pattern of the Lord’s method of disciple making presented in the Gospels as well as showcase practical methods for calling and developing disciples in the contemporary context.”
Evangelism and Discipleship in the Modern World
Mondays from 9:00–10:30am Eastern Time (UTC-5:00)
October 24 – December 12, 2022
Course Instructor: Pastor Bhavesh Nagda and Matthew Dereck
I have been praying with Bhavesh for a couple of years on our Aqueduct Project Intercessor’s board and have been deeply impressed by his ministry around the world, so I asked him to share with you just a little bit about who he is, just in case that might make you more interested in joining the class. Here is his response:
My full name is Bhaveshkumar J Nagda. I was born on December 24, 1973 in a Hindu Jian rich business family. Everything was going well in our life. My Dad was very religious person devoted to a goddess named Ambe Ma. When i reached 16, my Dad lost his health and wealth. We became a riches to rags story and literally lost everything. At that time, I asked my dad a question: “Who is the true God among all gods—because we lost everything!” He had no answer to that question, but that important question led to finding the true God. After 4 years of experience asking all the religious gurus, priests, muwlanas etc., I felt like they had answers in many ways but I had not found any peace or truth. Finally in February of 1993, I found my answer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One verse that God used especially to lead me to Jesus Christ is John 16:9. The Holy Spirit convicted me of unbelief, and I found my true God.
I have been doing evangelism from 1994 until now. i never missed an opportunity to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God that one receives through the believing in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. More than 10,000 souls have accepted Christ (fulfilling the Lord’s vision in Matthew 24:14 and Mark 16:15).
Regarding discipleship, this I started when I came to Dubai in 2006, when I understood John 15:16 and Matthew 28:18-20. Discipleship is a systematic teaching where new believers understand the foundation of God’s Word. The goal is to raise a strong, committed worker for the Lord’s Kingdom. We need strong, tested, tried, anointed, loyal, empowered, and committed disciples who can turn into missionaries.
Note – Not all believers are disciples, but all disciples are believers.
(Other credentials: Bhaveshkumar is a Senior Pastor and Region Head of Jesus is Alive Community, Dubai, UAE. He is also the Vision Keeper of the H-19 Region Prayer Movement. He’s on the faculty of and Dubai Region Head of TNO Mission Academy. He’s the Core Leader of Regional Transformation Network UAE and International Coordinator of 10 Days H19 Region, UAE . . . so a very committed, busy man passionate about sharing Jesus with the world!)
The passage from the Bible the Holy Spirit used to bring Bhavesh to Jesus:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:7-13).
I fell in love with Riviera salads 30 years ago when we first moved to GR, back in the day when our local Arnie’s Bakery served them as an option with their “soup and salad” lunch special. They are one of the world’s simplest yet most delectable salads, and to this day—one of my favorites! I was amazed to look through all the recipes I’ve published over the years, and in over 300, nary a mention of this! How could I overlook and fail to share something so special?
Riviera Salads (per salad)
Making a Riviera salad is literally as easy as 1,2,3 (well, plus a step four):
In a bowl, arrange about a cup of crisp salad greens (I use romaine lettuce)
Add 1/2 cup fresh, sliced strawberries
Top with 1/4 cup crushed pecans (raw or roasted/salted; I use raw)
Dress it up with 2 tablespoons “poppy seed dressing” (I like Ken’s, but there are several good ones out there.)
Voilà! Fruit, veggie, protein, and oil all in one incredibly yummy salad which took under five minutes to make! It can be a complete meal and is great when you’re on the run (like on a trip), although I usually serve it as a side—most often with some festive meat dish. (You can also add a grilled chicken breast or salmon on top to make a summer dinner.)
Frankly, I think it tastes great with almost anything! 🙂
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
I hope you don’t get tired of seeing photos of brilliant autumn leaves and gorgeous Atlantic coastlines,
but those are the most cherished memories from our trip through the Maritime Provinces of Canada, so I’ll probably be sharing lots of them over the next few weeks.
From Reversing Falls in Saint John, we traveled to Fundy National Park, which is the most popular of the Canadian Park sites in New Brunswick.
Coastline of Goose Bay of Fundy Bay in New Brunswick
The park embraces 80 square miles along the spectacular coastline of Goose Bay (along the northwest side of Fundy Bay).
Fundy Trail Park way in early October
One of the special beauties of the Canadian parks is that they’re not so overcrowded as American parks right now, so think “North” if you have the leisure for a trip.
Alma as seen from Headquarters Campground of Fundy National Park
Whereas we couldn’t get a reservation for Glacier National Park even 1 year ahead of time (2021 for the 2022 season), we were able to get a lovely site at “Headquarters Campground” of the Fundy National Park, which I recommend due to its proximity to Alma, the little village right next to the park.
Kathi taking photos of Fundy Bay . . . and some scarlet Mountain Ash berries. 🙂
Whereas the more popular national parks in America are hosting over 3 million visitors every year (and 300± million visits throughout the country’s park system), there were only about 300,000 visitors (one-tenth as many) at Fundy this year.
Pretty quiet on the beach!
In the past year, we’ve visited over 30 American National Parks, and (we believe) due to Covid issues, the parks are overwhelmed with people who need a retreat from the cities for their vacations.
Fundy Bay at low tide
Think it over!!
So, we drove through beautiful countryside to the Canadian Highlands and settled in for a couple of days of exploring the area around Fundy National Park . . .
where the world’s highest tides leave miles of exposed ocean floor—for a few hours until the tides sweep in and cover the seacoast with 50+ feet of salt water again!
Big Salmon River Suspension Bridge
Where there are 25 hiking trails and more than 25 waterfalls.
Where you can stand at the top of cliffs and see Nova Scotia in the distance.
Where there are little restaurants that serve the freshest seafood we’ve ever eaten!
Where we will most likely never return, although we’d both go back in a heartbeat if we could! I sincerely hope you get to go somewhere beautiful for a vacation this fall, but whether or not you do, I hope you’ll find joy in sharing some of lovely sights we savored last autumn.
Think north. Think quiet. Think.
“He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7).
Our first major stop in Canada was Saint John, New Brunswick. Saint John is Canada’s third largest seaport and was the first city in Canada to be incorporated (back in 1785 by King George III of England, although it was first explored by Samuel de Champlain almost two centuries earlier, in 1604).
Because we travel in a motor home, we rarely venture into cities, but the one attraction we could not resist was the Skywalk across the Reversing Falls Bridge.
The mighty powers of river currents and rising tides collide at Reversing Falls
We were also planning to indulge in “the best ever” halibut for lunch at the Reversing Falls Restaurant (pictured at the far end of this bridge), but it was closed due to Covid. 😦
Happily, we were still able to walk all around the area and across the bridge to see the falls reversing.
Poster explaining the three phases of Reversing Falls
How does it work?
Rising tides clash with the Saint John River’s current
Saint John is on Fundy Bay of the Atlantic Ocean, which has the highest tides in the world—up 56 feet! The Reversing River Falls are a series of rapids where the Saint John River gushes through a narrow gorge before emptying into Fundy Bay.
Rising tides from Fundy Bay push back the flow of the Saint John River
However, twice a day, as the tides rise, they push back the river current with such force that the effects can be felt 80 miles up the river!
At the change of tides, there is a “slack” tide for about 20 minutes, which is the only time the river is calm enough for boats to safely traverse the river.
After this slight resting phase, the direction of the river reverses, and as the tides recede, the river flows downstream and out into the ocean again.
Reversing Falls Rapids is a UNESCO Global Geopark!
During this process, the water levels can change as much as 16.4 feet, making waters dangerously turbulent and unpredictable.
In addition, the rapids are created by underwater ledges thought to be the meeting of two ancient continents, and the waters roil in eddies and whirlpools going both directions, so no matter how deep the water is, navigation is always hazardous.
So far, there hasn’t been a great loss in number of lives since 1838, when 19 women and children died after their boat hit a rock and capsized.
However, the bridge must be a popular spot for suicides. In 2019, there were more than 17 suicides in the Saint John area—so many that a “Bridge of Hope” event was organized to encourage people struggling with depression and mental illness to feel loved and supported . . . to know that there are people who care about them, and that there is hope.
How about you? Are you able to remain calm despite the currents and tides in your life? If so, praise God! If not, please know that there is help. In Saint John, there is the “Saint John Mobile Mental Health line,” 1-888-811-3664, and in Canada generally, you can call Canada Suicide Prevention Services, 1-833-456-4566, or 911. In America, you can also call 911 for any crisis, although there is also a Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. I have also read you can text 741741, which is a Crisis Text Line available to anyone, and that within minutes a trained counselor will respond. (I hope these are all true, faithful resources.)
“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165)
Personally, I have found peace in knowing and trusting in the wonderful love and care of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, and in God, who has become my Father through faith in Christ. This blessed assurance that I belong to God, and that He loves me, has kept my heart at rest during the strains and sorrows of life.
Sung by Joni Eareckson Tada, who has been quadripelgic for 55 years
This upcoming lecture from Brian Donnelly-Lewis (Ph.D. Candidate in Near Eastern Languages at the University of California, Los Angeles) will present new research that brings a fresh perspective to recent finds concerning the alphabet and brings them into a larger conversation, taking a look at the shaping of our alphabet far after its birth in Sinai but just before its adoption by the world.
“These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). Where would we be without written language?!
I’ve been trying to add more fruits and veggies into our daily diet, as all the nutritionists tout needing 1-2 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of vegetables per day to provide enough nutrients regardless of your age. As we humans grow older, we need fewer calories but not fewer nutrients!
Ham and Spinach Mac’n’Cheese (Serves 2-4)
If you resonate with this predicament, you might enjoy this flavorful recipe that hams up mac’n’cheese with more protein, vitamins, and minerals:
In a stock pot, make mac’n’cheese your favorite way, albeit a boxed Kraft meal or the old-fashioned way: boiling 1 cup (8 oz) of elbow macaroni in salted water, cooking until nearly tender, draining, and adding cheese, butter, and milk to taste. However you do it, start with about two cups of al dente mac’n’cheese (don’t overcook it). To this pot, add:
1 cup cubed ham (or chicken, or tofu, or whatever protein you prefer!) 8 oz. spinach (fresh or frozen, but if it’s frozen, microwave it first until it’s defrosted and starting to warm) 4 oz (1/2 cup) shredded cheese (cheddar or something with distinctive flavor is nice) 2 teaspoons minced garlic (if it’s fresh pressed, probably 2 cloves would be plenty) 1 teaspoon hot sauce (we like Cholula, but you might like something hotter) 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon ground, black pepper Cook and stir until all the cheese is melted and everything is steaming and thoroughly mixed. Serve piping hot.
I served it with creamed corn and applesauce, but any fruit and veggie sides will make your warm, yummy, comfort-food mac’n’cheese into a pretty nutritious dinner.
(For lunch the next day, I served a fresh Riviera Salad with it.) (Oh, wow! I just realized I’ve never mentioned these simple, amazing salads. Recipe coming ASAP, which might be awhile!)
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
Alan and I met in junior high sixty years ago while living in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which is right across the river from her sister city: Sault Ste. Marie of Ontario, Canada, so it’s not like we’d never been to Canada before!
In fact, Ontario was almost as free as Michigan to us, and we spent many wonderful occasions hiking in the Laurentian Hills or eating at favored restaurants.
Our families always took a sunny weekend afternoon to drive through the glowing maple forests in the fall.
My birthday (right at the beginning of October) was usually peak color season, and often my choice for a birthday event would be to take the train north from Soo, Ontario to Agawa Canyon. (Always a delightful one-day excursion it you’re looking for an autumn leaves outing, although they now also have 3 to 7+ day, very expensive mega tours.)
View from Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail
However, we’d never been to the Maritime Provinces of eastern Canada during the autumn color season, and the beauty was unbelievably, unforgettably stunning!
So, hang on to your hats as we adventure together through the glorious beauty of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia!
Variegated grasses almost as beautiful as the leaves in fall! (Taken in Maine on our way to New Brunswick)
But first, let me tell you about a few of our initial experiences and impressions.
Border Crossings: Fifty years ago, we didn’t need any I.D. to cross the International Bridge into Canada other than the driver showing his license. This time (2021), we had to have our passports and proof of a negative NAAT Covid test within the past 72 hours. I was concerned about losing any left over fresh fruits and veggies so had been eating them up before we tried to cross the border. In fact, it was a non-issue! (However, we had to throw out some perfectly good clementines in order to get back into America later on.) On the other hand, I was totally unconcerned about the two cans of pepper spray we’d brought to protect ourselves from bears. If you want to take anything into Canada that could be used as a weapon against people as well as bears, be sure it’s marked “BEAR” spray. Thankfully, even though they took our cans of spray, we never saw bears, so that concern became a non-issue also. But, if you’re going to travel, take the time to figure out what you’re allowed to take in.
Public spaces: I’m not sure what the restrictions are this fall (2022), but if you’re going to travel, it will be worth knowing them. For instance, we were not allowed to enter ANY public building without proof of vaccination for Covid IN OUR HANDS. We couldn’t even stop at a Visitor Center for a map or to ask information, and we couldn’t enter a restaurant for a bite of pie without being interrogated (politely, of course). They were much stricter than in America, and I’m guessing they still may be.
Think about time zones: We crossed from Calais, Maine into St. Stephen’s, New Brunswick, and there was an immediate 1-hour time change. That’s reasonable enough, but we hadn’t considered it, so it made us later to our destination than we had anticipated.
Websites aren’t always accurate: I had made elaborate plans for everything we wanted to see, do, and visit . . . even down to favorite restaurants recommended by various friends who had traveled this way before us. In reality, we found that checking websites was only mildly helpful and more often than not inaccurate, as websites were not updated appropriately. Some sites and restaurants were completely closed; many had hours that were curtailed; almost all had staffing problems. I’ll probably tell you about some of the more challenging failures as we go along, but if you’re a planner rather than a winger, definitely keep some “Plan Bs” in mind.
Restrooms and rest areas aren’t as common as in America. Thankfully, we traveled in our “Sanctuary” (motor home), so we had a bathroom and food always available, but we were caught off guard by the scarcity of places where we could pull off to the side of the road for a break or picnic lunch. As Americans, I think we take for granted 24/7 gas stations and rest areas. Not so in Canada (or most of the world). Don’t pass GO or GAS when it’s handy! We ended up having a picnic lunch in more than a few scenic grocery store parking lots. 🙂
Taste Points: On the brighter side, the food and supplies in Canada were (and I believe still are) ample and less expensive. We had a veritable mountain of fish’n’chips with some hush puppies on top for good measure at Granite Town’s Birch Grove Restaurant with homemade strawberry pie for dessert that was both inexpensive and dreamy! So good that as we passed by a couple of weeks later on our way home, we stopped in again.
Sign in Birch Grove RestaurantView from our beloved “Sanctuary” the morning we stayed at Granite Town Wild Blueberry Farm
I’ve mentioned Harvest Hosts, an organization that provides (for one annual fee) parking space for self-contained campers. They exist in Canada too, and we had completely happy experiences with them.
The deal is: stay free, but spend $20 or so at the host’s store. We spent our first night in New Brunswick at Granite Town Wild Blueberry Farm. Alan found a pair of Stihl work boots for half what he’d have to pay in the U.S. (and he now uses them constantly)!
We bought some wild blueberry jams, and the morning we left, the owner baked us a fresh wild blueberry pie to take along with us for $8.95 Canadian (about $7 USD). And, it was incredibly delicious! We found the food, service, and prices in Canada all excellent.
And so, my friends, with these first impressions and photos of our route from Route 1 along Maine’s Coastal Corridor into New Brunswick (with a few pictures from later in the trip), I’ll continue on next week with a look at “Reversing Falls,” where the river sometimes runs backwards!
“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3).
Summer Setting 